STANDISH, Maine – Saint Joseph's College (19-5, 11-3 GNAC) won a pair of games versus Mount Ida College (5-19, 5-10 GNAC) in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) softball doubleheader at Richard W. Bailey Field on Sunday afternoon. The Monks won the opener, 9-0, and completed the sweep with a 4-1 victory in the closing contest.
Today's doubleheader was originally scheduled to take place at Mount Ida's home field, but the Mustangs' diamond remains unplayable, so the coaches agreed upon a change in venue. As a result, the Monks played as the away team at Bailey Field.
GAME ONE
The Monks scored all of their runs in two different innings with four in the third and five in the seventh. As it played out, Saint Josephs' starting pitcher Laura Jordan (Orrington, Maine) did not require much offense to pick up her third win of the season, as the senior hurler allowed just four hits and a walk with five strikeouts during seven shutout innings.
In the third, sophomore catcher Jennifer Murphy (Andover, Mass.) recorded a two-run double and junior Megen Pollini (Wolfeboro, N.H.) and sophomore shortstop Mariah Harrison (Buxton, Maine) both rapped RBI singles to help the Royal Blue secure a 4-0 cushion.
St. Joe's extended the lead to 9-0 with five runs off four hits and a Mount Ida error in the seventh. Senior right fielder Victoria Ramos (North Scituate, R.I.) and senior third baseman Kim Jordan (Bangor, Maine) notched RBI singles, junior second baseman Alyssa Wade (Peru, Maine) worked a bases-loaded walk, and freshman pinch hitter Allie Pike (Buxton, Maine) reached on an infield error, a miscue that allowed a pair of runs to cross the plate.
Pollini went 3-3 with a run and an RBI and Murphy was 2-3 with two runs and a pair of RBI in the victory.
Mustangs sophomore starter Nicole Handzel (Palmer, Mass.) suffered the loss after allowing four runs off six hits and four walks with 7 K's over six innings while freshman Hayley Microulis (Pawtucket, R.I.) gave up five runs (three earned) off four hits and a pair of walks in one inning of relief.
GAME TWO
The Monks did not open the game scoring until the top of the fourth, when Harrison stepped to the plate with two out and two on and ripped a two-run double to left-center.
The Mustangs responded with a run off two hits in the bottom of the fourth, when sophomore Lucianna Medici (Rivierside, R.I.) led off with a single up the middle and later scored on a base hit by Microulis, making it a 2-1 game through four.
Saint Joseph's tacked on a pair of insurance runs off four hits and an error in the top of the fifth, when junior first baseman Melissa Mayhew (Hiram, Maine) plated Kim Jordan with a two-bagger to left-center and scored when the following batter, senior Theresa Hendrix (Scarborough, Maine/Cheverus), roped another double to left-center, accounting for the 4-1 final.
Jordan, Murphy and Pollini all went 2-4 with a run in the victory while sophomore pitcher Kylie McFadden (Somersworth, N.H.) allowed a run off four hits with six punch outs in a complete-game effort.
Sophomore pitcher Kaitlyn Muhlenforth (Bohemia, N.Y.) took the loss for the Mustangs after yielding four runs (three earned) off 11 hits and a walk with one strikeout over seven frames.
With the sweep, Saint Joseph's improves to 17-0 all-time versus Mount Ida College.
Saint Joseph's travels to University of Saint Joseph (CT) on Tuesday for a conference doubleheader starting at 3:00 PM while Mount Ida hosts Emmanuel College tomorrow in a GNAC twinbill that starts at 3:00 PM.
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Saint Joseph's College is Maine's only Catholic liberal arts college, providing a supportive, personalized and career-focused education for more than 100 years. From its 474-acre campus on the shores of Sebago Lake, the College offers more than 40 undergraduate programs to a population of approximately 1,000 students. Saint Joseph's College Online provides certificates, undergraduate and advanced degrees for working adults through an online learning program. For more, visit www.sjcme.edu.
